Remote control circuit breaker



y 8, 1951 I. HEIDMANN 2,552,427

' REMOTE CONTROL CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed March 7, 1947 Z Sheets-Sheet l m 29 Invenfor' ,5 L, He/a mann f MM 4 W 17 fl n eya y 1951 L. HEIDMANN 2,552,427

REMOTE CONEROL CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed March '7, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6

[ Held/11am? l W X2419 HffOrfl B S Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOTE CONTROL CIRCUIT BREAKER Leon Heidmann, Jeumont, France, assignor to Sooiete Anonyme dite: Forges ct Ateliers de Constructions Electriqucs de Jeumont, Paris, France, a corporation of France Application March 7, 1947, Serial No. 733,207 In France April 19, 1946 5 Claims.

the medium of a single wire without any recourse being had to relays, solenoids, or compressed air apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact construction fully insulated from surrounding objects and capable of operating eificiently with either strong or weak currents of electricity.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for quickly opening and closing a circuit, utilizing a single spring element and an electric operating motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide pneumatic means which will operate to damp the movable elements of the circuit breaker while at the same time blow air upon the arcs.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a magnetic unlocking for the movable elements of the circuit breaker which are free from any possibility of accidental locking.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description below, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevational view showing the circuit breaker in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the position of the parts just before the circuit is broken;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the parts after the current has been broken;

Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the position of the parts when action has been initiated to again make the circuit;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the position of the parts just prior to the making of the circuit; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the circuit breaker as seen from the side of the arc chutes.

In the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the various views.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the circuit breaker has two breaks in series comprising two fixed contacts and two movable contacts. The movable contacts are mounted upon a common support and are operated by the same mechanism. A small series motor will close the circuit breaker when a current from a battery energizes the motor. Such energization of the motor is automatically maintained up to the time of the closing after which it is automatically interrupted and the motor being coupled in shunt, is immobilized by electrical braking.

It is to be noted that in Figs. 1 to 5, only a. single pair of contacts is shown and a second. pair of identical contacts is located directly in.

back of those illustrated.

In Fig. 1, where the circuit breaker is shown. in closed position, one of the two fixed contacts is shown at I having the shape illustrated, and one of the two movable contacts is shown at 2 fixed upon the movable support 5, and provided with an arcing horn 3. The support may pivot about the movable pivot pin 5 provided upon the rotatable lever 6 which is in turn pivoted at l.

The rotatable lever l8 cooperates with a hook or clasp member 8 fixed to the upper plate of a bellows 9. The upper plate of the bellows 9 also has mounted thereon a cross bar It and the blowing nozzles Ii directed towards the arcing spaces.

The movable pivot 5' is connected by a tripping link iii to an oscillating armature is pivoted at it cooperating with the trip electro-magnet 15. A compression spring I5 positioned in the manner shown in Fig. 1 between the pins 56' and H, urges downwardly the right hand side of the support 4. The pin i1, fixed upon the right hand side of the support is adapted to slide in an elongated slot provided in the lower end of a remote control link I8. The other end of the link I8 is pivotally attached to a crank i9 rotated by the electric motor it. The motor 29' has associated with it an appropriate reduction gearing system (not shown).

The crank I9 is not rigidly connected to its shaft, but is constructed so as to have a certain amount of angular play, provided by an appropriate play device; for instance by a key moving in an enlarged groove provided in the crank l9. This angular play is utilized during the course of the quick closing of the circuit breaker as will appear below. Magnetic blowing is secured by providing two coils 22 which are suitably connected and which will act upon the arcing space. The crank I9 is not rigidly connected to its shaft, but is constructed so as to have. a certain amount of angular play, provided by an appropriate play device, for instance by a key 30 moving angularly in an enlarged groove 3| provided in the crank 3 l9, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to produce a free rotation A of the crank as shown in Fig. 5.

The interruption of the circuit is carried out in the f0110wing manner. When the current for the trip electromagnet I5 is broken by any suitable means, the armature i3, coacting therewith, is acted upon by the spring It through the medium of the tripping link l2 and will swing counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 1. This permits the pin it to move downwardly in the slot of the link It; and the support 6} moves first in a clockwise direction which brings the movable contact 2 from the position shown in Fig. 1, to the breaking position shown in' Fig. 2, which. immediately precedes the separation of the contacts. The lever 8-, moving downwardly, contacts the upper surface of the cross bar It and the support 4 contacts the lever 6.

Then, at this moment, the support 4, the lever B, and the upper plate of the bellows 9 are displaced as a unit downwardly while swinging about the fixed point 1, as shown in Fig. 3. The contacts separate quickly under the action of the compression spring it; towards the end of the course the movement is dampened by the bellows 9 and jets of air are directed through the nozzles ll upon the two breaking arcs. The pneumatic blowing is particularly useful when very feeble currents are broken and the ampere turns in the coils 28- may be insufiicient. Furthermore, the use of pneumatic blowing permits reducing the number of turns provided in the coils 28.

The closing of the breaker is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In order to accomplish this, the motor 19' is energized and also the electro-magnet i5 is energized.

The crank i9 will then leave the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and move in the direction of the arrow F, in Fig. 4, which raises the remote control link I8. The link it raises the axis ll of the support 5 causing the latter to turn counterclockwise until the movable contact 2 reaches the fixed abutment 2!, after which the pin ll contacts the movable abutment 29 fixed to lever t and raises the lever B away from the cross bar it. This movement carries the upper plate of the bellows Q upwardly through the .medium of the clasp member 5, and the tripping .link l2, which rises with the movement of the ,pivot 5, swings the armature 33' towards the electro-magnet it.

In Fig. 5, the armature i3 is shown bearing upon the core of the electro-magnet it, which maintains it in this position by magnetic attraction. The crank 49 has attained its upper dead point. Upon passing the dead point, the angular play referred to above, and shown at A in- Fig. 5, comes into action and permits the crank 19 to swing quickly in the direction of the arrow F under the action of the compression spring 16 which pushes downwardly the right hand side of the support t with the pin ll bearing against the lower end of the slot in the remote control link [8. In this Way, a, rapid clockwise movement of the support l takes place and contacts 2 close the circuit quickly.

When the crank 1'9 passes the upper dead point the current for the motor is automatically cut and the armature is short-circuited so as to provide a quick stopping.

It is to be noted that the parts, when in the position shown at this moment, are in condition for immediately reopening the circuit. In order to do -this, it is only necessary to interrupt the current energizing the trip electro-magnet l5, thereby freeing the movable pivot 5 so that the support 4 may swing freely about the pin I! in order to separate the contacts. This illustrates one characteristic of the present invention which: may be termed free tripping.

In order to render the device as comp-act as possible, the elements may be arranged as shown in Fig. 6. Herein are shown two are chutes 22 and. 23, and two blowing coils which magnetize the blowing pole pieces 24 and 25. This will reduce the breaking arcs. The assembly is mounted upon a chassis 26 and the elements carrying the current are insulated therefrom. The chassis in turn is supported by the insulators 2"! on the inside of a grounded box 28 so that the circuit breaker is provided with a double insulation with a full protection of the operator against contact with live parts.

Thus by the use of two blowing boxes in series, as well as the pneumatic blowing, a substantial reduction in space is accomplished.

It is also to be noted that the permanent contact is made by the heel of the movable contacts as seen in Fig. 1, which provides a suflicient contact area and a strong contact pressure while breaking takes place at the ends of the movable contacts, as shown in Fig. 2. This is advantageous for the breaking of feeble currents and skidding cannot take place due to the free unlocking of a magnetic armature.

The arrangement described above is advantageous also because of the fact that it comprises only a single spring l5 which assures at all times a; constant pressure of Contact, as well as the quick opening and closing of the circuit breaker.

It is also't'o be noted that the pneumatic blowing' which c'om'es' into action, more particularly during the-interruption of very feeble currents, permits reducing the number of turns in the coils for the magnetic blowing which also contributes to a reduction of weight and volume. By permitting a reduction in the magnetic blowing. effect, the arrangement also reduces at the same time the over voltagesat the break.

The apparatus above described constitutes only one form of carrying out the invention and all forms of the invention are claimed as will fall within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. A remote control circuit breaker of the free tripping type, comprising fixed contacts, a movable support, movable contacts cooperating with said fixed contacts and carried by one end of said support,.a pin upon the other end of said support, remote control closing means cooperating with said pin and including an electric motor and a remote control link interposed between said pin andsaid motor in order to bring about an intermediate position of said movable contacts before their closure, a movable pivot located between said pin and the movable contacts on'said'support,.a tripping link attached to said movable pivot, electromagnetic holding means cooperating. with said tripping link for maintaining magnetically said support and movable contacts in closed position, a slot in said remote control link" adapted to rock said support about said movable pivot to the said intermediate position', but toallow the free tripping movement of the support, elastic means to bias said support against the action of said remote control link, and combined magneticand pneumatic arc extinguishing means" comprising conventional magnetic blow-out coils associated with said fixed contacts and a bellows adapted to be operated by said movable pivot.

2. A remote control circuit breaker according to claim 1 in which the remote control closing means comprise upon said motor a crank driven by said motor to effect one full rotation, an angular play device between said motor and said crank adapted to act as soon as the said intermediate position has been reached and to produce a free closing movement of the breaker by said elastic means, the said remote control link having one end attached to said crank and the other end with the said elongated slot cooperating with said pin.

3. A remote control circuit breaker according to claim 1 in which there is provided a rotatable lever carrying said movable pivot, a movable abutment on said lever to limit relative rotation of one end of said support and a fixed abutment arranged and located to act as a pivot for the other end of said support during the operation of said remote control link, whereby said tripping link is brought to its magnetically held position.

4. A remote control circuit breaker of the free tripping type, comprising an electric remote control motor, a pair of fixed contacts, a rotatable lever, a movable support mounted on a pivot upon said lever, a compression spring acting upon one end of said support, two movable contacts upon the other end of said support, cooperating with said fixed contacts and adapted to occupy an opened position under the action of said spring, an intermediary position under the action of said motor, as well as a closed position under the action of the same spring, and means for providing the said three positions, comprising a trip electromagnet, an oscillating armature cooperating with said electromagnet and connected to said pivot to hold said pivot in an upper position, a crank driven by said motor to effect one full rotation, an angular play device interposed between said motor and said crank and adapted to operate in the said intermediate position only, whereby the said spring is allowed to effect a quick closing movement, a remote control link connecting said crank to the first mentioned end of said support, said link having a slot therein to provide a free tripping movement of said support upon deenergization of said electromagnet, an abutment upon said rotatable lever to limit the relative rotation of said support and a fixed abutment arranged and located to act as an end pivot of said support, whereby said oscillating armature is brought to the said holding position by the action of said motor which is provided with conventional starting and stopping means.

5. In a remote control circuit breaker as set forth in claim 4, conventional pneumatic damping and are blowing means and an arrangement for closing said contacts by a snap action without operating said pneumatic means, comprising a bellows, the upper plate of which is adapted to be operated by said rotatable lever which is adapted to be held in its said upper position by said electromagnet, whereby the said movable support is permitted by said angular play device to rotate freely from its intermediate position to the closed position, the said bellows remaining stationary.

LEON HEIDMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 900,693 Badeau Oct. 13, 1908 1,106,116 Scott Aug. 4, 1914 1,272,445 Holliday July 16, 1918 1,771,421 Ronnberg et a1. July 29, 1930 1,872,382 Aalborg et al Aug. 16, 1932 2,034,145 Linde Mar. 17, 1936 2,240,656 Lindstrom May 6, 1941 2,275,891 Cox Mar. 10, 1942 2,300,884 Gano Nov. 3, 1942 2,347,984 Baskerville May 2, 1944 

